Ministry for Information, Communication & the Arts reply to bloggers’ Proposals for Internet freedom in Singapore

May 7, 2008 by admin
Filed under: Current Affairs, Internet & Media 

The Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts has responded to the bloggers’ paper entitled “Proposals for Internet freedom in Singapore”. (The full text of the proposal can be read here.)

The e-mail reply from the Ministry is addressed to Alex Au, and is reproduced as follows (my own comments to the reply can be found after the letter):

Dear Mr Au

My Minister would like to thank you and your blogger friends for the effort in putting up the proposals for Internet deregulation which you had emailed to him on 20 April 2008.

MICA is well aware of the fact that Internet and new media technology have evolved by leaps and bounds since we introduced our light-touch approach in 1996. Back then, MICA had recognised the potential growth and impact of the Internet, and the tremendous opportunities and benefits that it will bring to all of us. We were also wary of its negative aspects. Hence, our response to the Internet was to take a balanced light-touch approach. Our intent with this light-touch approach was to foster the growth of the Internet and to enable us to exploit its vast potential while safeguarding our society from its undesirable aspects. That 79% of our households subscribe to broadband and many Singaporeans especially the younger citizens own a blog or participate in some form of new media clearly show that the light-touch approach had not been without merit.

To keep up with the fast-evolving new media landscape, we have been reviewing our light-touch approach and are considering how we could take a lighter touch approach. We have appointed the Advisory Council on the Impact of New Media on Society (AIMS) in April last year to study the new media and how best to refine our regulatory framework.

We will consider the views expressed in your proposal and other feedback in our review.

Yours sincerely

K.BHAVANI (Ms)
Press Secretary
to the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts

MY COMMENTS ON THE MINISTRY’S REPLY:

At first glance, the reply seems a little superficial. It is just concentrates on MDA believing in a light touch approach, and possibly seeking an even lighter touch going forward.

However it is still unclear precisely what they mean by lighter touch.

Still, it is a positive that at least, they bothered to write a coherent reply, and not just ignore the issue totally or reply with a computer-generated two-line dismissive comment. It showed that they actually read what was written.

The thrust of their reply as well as MDA’s earlier position on the internet suggests to me that they think the rapidly changing nature of information technology is the key thing that forces them into greater and greater degrees of liberalization.

While I certainly welcome that mindset, it also disturbs me to some extent that they do not view political and civil rights, or the need for free political discourse, as another key thing that would also force their hand into greater liberalization.

In other words, they are still guided primarily but hardware, and not by heartware.

I can understand why, as a govt proxy, they feel compelled to be thus. But that is something we should try to change also.

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Comments

7 Comments on Ministry for Information, Communication & the Arts reply to bloggers’ Proposals for Internet freedom in Singapore

  1. Daily SG: 8 May 2008 « The Singapore Daily on Thu, 8th May 2008 11:17 am

    2. [...] by The Singapore Daily on 8 May 2008 We Don’t Need No Regulation – Sgpolitics.net: Ministry for Information, Communication & the Arts reply to bloggers’ Proposals for Internet f… – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: It just boils down to power and control – Journalism.sg: From [...]

  2. FromTheZoo on Thu, 8th May 2008 10:18 pm

    3. —Our intent with this light-touch approach was to foster the growth of the Internet and to enable us to exploit its vast potential while safeguarding our society from its UNDESIRABLE ASPECTS.—

    What is ‘undesirable aspects’? Is casinos undesirable aspect?

  3. Define The Meaning. on Fri, 9th May 2008 3:11 am

    4. “Undesirable aspects”?

    Undesirable to who? To Singapore, to the Singapore Govt, or to the PAP?

    When I say the Singapore Govt, I do not take it to be synonymous with the PAP, though the PAP might most probably like to think that the Singapore Govt is equated to the PAP.

    Singapore is larger than the Singapore Govt, and the Singapore Govt is larger than the PAP. The PAP can afford to be selfish to safeguard its own interests but the Singapore Govt cannot afford to be selfish and disregard the interests of Singapore as a whole . The Singapore Govt can also disregard the interests of the PAP in favour of the interests of all Singaporeans, though the PAP may not. That perhaps is only in theory. But in practice who really know what is going on?

    If a minority group of people keep benefiting from the system and wield the power to control everyone else, it is not a democracy at all. It is the dictatorship of a minority group over the majority, i.e. all Singaporeans. Therefore, all regulations must benefit the majority who are powerless and therefore need protection. The minority who are very powerful are the ones who should be suppressed by regulations so that they cannot use their powers at will to go against the will of the majority. That’s why there is the thing called Common Laws.

    MICA must be very specific when it comes out with any regulation. It should not allow ambiguity to reign freely so that the common people are always at the losing end either way the terms in the regulations are interpreted. It should not be allowed to be on a case-by-case basis of interpretation, where the authority can always have the cake and eat it. There must be a common definitive meaning for all to understand and apply.

  4. SGDaily Roundup: Week 18 « The Singapore Daily on Sat, 10th May 2008 12:54 pm

    5. [...] speech? When is it seditious? – Yawning Bread: The pigeons are among us already – Sgpolitics.net: Ministry for Information, Communication & the Arts reply to bloggers’ Proposals for Internet f… – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: It just boils down to power and control – Journalism.sg: From [...]

  5. magic warn on Sun, 11th May 2008 10:18 am

    6. Hope for the best.. Plan for the worst..

  6. davidtmt on Sun, 15th Jun 2008 12:13 pm

    7. Don’t be naive. It’s going to be a lighter touch alright. It will be a lighter touch with an electric probe up your a***!

  7. Bernard Leong » Official Reply from Singapore Government on the Proposals for Internet Freedom on Sat, 5th Sep 2009 10:30 pm

    8. [...] and Mohan’s "Maintaining Racial and Religious Harmony through Criminal Law". The full text for official email reply can be found in E-Jay’s SGPoilitics.net. I have attached a copy [...]

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